Children of Destiny
by Sylla
Summary: He was there when she opened her eyes, and she immediately knew two things. First, he was one of the Children of Destiny. Second, he was here to kill her. Full summary inside. ZeldaxLink.


Summary: He was there when she opened her eyes, and immediately she knew two things. First, that he was one of the Children of Destiny. Second, he was here to kill her. A series of coincidences throws the Princess of Hyrule together with a solitary assassin, who's name happens to be... Link. Together they must find a way to stop the one who seeks forbidden power behore they themselves are engulfed. ZeldaxLink.

Disclaimer: Don't own Legend of Zelda

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The night was warm. The moon watched over the land of Hyrule and all its people like a silent sentinel. An errant breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees, but apart from that there was not a sound to be heard. The packs of homeless dogs that usually roamed the many streets and back alleys of Hyrule city were silent. Even the crickets had stopped chirping.

For something was about to happen. And although no-one knew it, the events of that night would unleash a chain of events that would echo across history.

But no-one knew it- yet.

On the lofty rooftops of Hyrule castle, a lone figure crouched, making sure not to outline itself against the sky. That figure had a particular interest in not being seen, for a very simple reason.

It was here to kill someone.

Two someones, actually, but that was for later. Best now to concentrate on the job at hand. With ease born of years of practice, the dark-cloaked man swung himself over the edge of the roof of the tower he had previously perched upon, through a small window and into a tiny circular room practically devoid of furniture. The thick coat of dust on the floor what little furniture there was proved testimony to the disuse the room had fallen into. Perfect.

The only door in the room led to a narrow, dark stairwell. The only source of light here was the moon shining into the room he had just left. But that was no problem either. Even if he couldn't see, he could still fell his way down. And he did so, until he came to another wooden door. He felt around until his fingers brushed against cold metal. It was locked, of course- but that didn't worry him. He briefly put his ear to the door to check for sounds outside- nothing. He knew that beyond this point he would have to be even more careful, as there were certain to be a large number of guards. He leaned against the cool grey stone wall for a minute, though he knew he couldn't not stay long. Every second he stayed increased his chances of being caught. Uncharacteristically, his thoughts began to wander...

He though back to the moment this assignment had been given to him. He had been called to the center of the citadel to speak with the Master- a rare enough opportunity in itself, but to be given such an important assignment as this!

"_Are you ready for this assignment?" his Master had asked, and he had nodded, trying not to let his eagerness show._

"_I want to know that you can live up to my expectations..."_

His head jerked up as he snapped out of his reverie, silently cursing himself. He couldn't afford to let his thoughts wander. There was a job to be completed.

From a small leather satchel under his black cloak he drew a long metal lockpick. In a matter of seconds the door was open. After taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the comparatively bright light of the hallway, the man stepped out of the stairwell- not before quickly scanning for guards. He moved stealthily, but with the deliberate movements of one who know exactly where he is going.

Taking care to stay away from the windows, and in the shadows wherever possible, he quickly made his way to the nearest stairwell. He knew there would be guards on the lower level- it was inevitable. He slunk down the stairwell with all the stealth and grace of a feline, sturdy brown leather boots making practically no sound at all. The hallway at the bottom of the stairwell was carpeted in rich wine red- obviously this was where the luxury started.

He lingered in the stairwell long enough to draw a long slim poniard out of a sheath at his belt. Goddesses take mercy on any fool that dared cross his path, because he wouldn't. Case in point- the guard rounding the corner. The man knew if he passed the stairwell he would see him; even the palace guards weren't that blind. As the guard drew level with the stairwell, he twirled out, quick as lightning, cloak swirling out behind him. The guard never had a chance. He died with the assassin's knife in his throat before he could even make a sound.

As quickly and silently as possible, he dragged the corpse back to the deserted stairwell. If he was lucky, nobody would notice until it was too late. And if not, then... it wouldn't matter much anyway. He padded silently down the corridor in the same direction the guard had come from, looking for the nearest stairwell. And there it was! Flanked by twin tapestries depicting the Goddesses and brilliantly illuminated by torches, the stairwell leading to the lower level. And to his target. Targets. Luckily it was unguarded- both for him and the guard he would have killed if it had been guarded. He ran quietly across the corridor to the stairwell, descending back to the wall.

Now came the first problem- two guards stood on either side of the stairwell. The stairwell itself was too wide for him to take them out simultaneously from behind. Time for a bit of creativity. He retreated several steps, then unsheathed a poniard twin to the one he already wielded.

"Excuse me." he said softly. The guards immediately whirled around, one with a soft cry. Upon seeing him, obviously and intruder, they started to advance, closing in on him. Which, of course, was exactly what he wanted. With speed almost superhuman, he dashed forward, slim blades of the poniards sinking deep into the men's throats. He caught them both as they fell, and lowered them gently to the ground to avoid any noise alerting even more guards. Within seconds, he was no longer there.

He stealthily peered around a corner to the ornately carved wooden door at the far end. Next to it stood no less than four guards. This was difficult- the hallway was long and straight- there was no way to sneak up on them. He couldn't just step around the corner and walk up to the guards. As good a fighter and assassin as he was, he would have a hard time taking four armed guards head-on. So he had no choice but to... yes, that was it. He sheathed the poniards, and instead drew several smaller throwing daggers- four, to be exact. He wouldn't need more.

He took one step around the corner. Within the space of two seconds, all four knives were in the air. The guards barely managed to notice him before they died. Calmly, as any other person would treat a walk in a forest, he walked up to the door, drawing his daggers from the carcasses on the way. With a gentle push, the door swung open, allowing the light to pour into a large, dim chamber with a four poster bed at the far end. As quietly as a gentle breeze, he approached the bed- or, more importantly, the sleeping form that lay on it. A woman of mature years, but with an unlined face framed by silky locks of golden hair.

The Queen of Hyrule.

He inclined his head toward her in a mocking bow.

She never knew what had happened. But when he left the room, silently as he had come, there was not a living soul within.

He closed the door carefully behind him. One down, one to go. This was going more smoothly than he had expected. He rounded several corners, so unobtrusively one could be pardoned for mistaking him for a shadow. He ducked into the shadows behind a statue as a guard passed, coming out when he was sure the guard had gone. He peered around another corner and...

He quickly ducked back behind the corner. There, at the end of the hallway, was the second door he wanted. Slightly less ornate, but nonetheless highly decorated. A repeat performance of the last door, and he was inside.

The room was somewhat smaller than the previous one, with a four poster bed against one of the walls, and a large wooden desk with a solitary candle burning on it, providing illumination. But the furnishings were of no interest to him. Only the sleeping figure on the bed. Slowly he approached it, one deliberate step at a time, until at last he stood directly above it. He regarded the figure somewhat as a cat would a mouse- with slight aloofness, and an all too certain malicious intent.

The Princess of Hyrule.

Still, he hadn't really thought she would be so young. She was younger than him, though not by much. Beautiful golden hair, and an unblemished face which, though similar to her mother's, showed a strength the Queen's hadn't. Such a pity to have to end her life. He reached to his side and unsheathed his poniard, and...

Her eyes snapped open. For a split second neither of them moved. Then she sat bolt upright with a scream.

With a muttered curse, he drew away from her. A sinking feeling settled in his chest as he realized he wouldn't be able to finish his assignment off now- at least, not while retaining his freedom. The girl's scream would have roused every guard in the castle. He had to get away, _now_. Quickly he looked around the room, easily identifying a means of escape. But he would have to move fast- already he could hear the running steps of guards drawing closer. Completely ignoring the frightened Princess of Hyrule, he ran lithely to the window.

A host of guards burst into the Princess' chambers, swords in hand.

"Your Highness!" one said, voice full of concern, and no small measure of relief at seeing her alive. Mutely she pointed at the window. Several of the guards rushed over, peering out of the window to the courtyard below. And there was no sign of the mysterious intruder who had singlehandedly assassinated the Queen of Hyrule, and very nearly her daughter.

But none of them thought to look up.

—

From his vantage point on the rooftops of the castle, the intruder in question surveyed the frenzied activity below. Cries and exclamations of horror told him that they had already discovered the body of the Queen, and most probably those of the guards. He sighed softly and clenched his hands.

He had failed. The Master had stressed the utmost importance of completing the task, and he had _failed_. Now he would have to report his failure to the Master, and _everyone_ knew what happened to failures. No, he was not looking forward to this at all.

But he had failed. That humiliating fact was almost more than he could bear. He pounded a fist against the tile roof in a rare display of temper. The scene played over and over in his mind, taunting him.

_The Master had smiled indulgently as he had nodded._

"_I want to know you can live up to my expectations, Link."_

_The young man had looked back at him with eyes that sone clear blue as the sky._

"_I will not fail." he had vowed._


End file.
